Chapter 1

The Magician

Issei Hyoudou did not know what overcame him when he bought the particular book before him.

It was a book, one that he had bought along with several others which dealt with runes and summoning.

The particular book was supposed to let him first gain access to his inner magical power and then teach him how to cast spells and so on. He had only bought this book due to it mentioning a spell that could bend light and give him a clear view about a particular place.

Issei had thought that it would be a great peeping tool and thus had bought it on impulse, he also bought the runes and summoning books to get an additional discount and at that time he was thinking how cool it would be to summon a Heroic spirit like he saw in Fate Stay/Night.

Hell he should not have gotten so worked up about it as everyone knew that Magic was not real.

Yet when Issei looked at the book something scream out to him to take it and learn from it. It was a fake and even though he knew it was fake Issei could not help but show some interest in the books.

Reading a few pages of the books, Issei had to admit that they were well written and the authors had put a lot of effort in making them sound real and genuine, using both obscure scientific knowledge and mystical mumbo-jumbo, the facts and theories all sounded real and compelling enough for someone to say that it was a genuine article.

Still a fake is a fake, and unless magic is real, the book was nothing but a waste of money, except for when he wanted something to read even then it would not be in his top choices.

"And I simply wasted my monthly allowance on the books; I had even gotten some extra this month too." Issei lamented, regretting his impulsive decision.

"I guess I should turn in for the night."

With a heavy heart and grieving over his wasted allowance Issei went to sleep, unaware of how his destiny had changed.

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Life went on as usual for Issei.

Going to school, peeping on girls, getting beaten by said girls, playing eroge, hanging out with his friends, and living a mundane ordinary life, his brief impulse with the occult had been put aside for the more intrusive pursuit of the female body, thus life went on as usual for him.

Thus Issei was surprised when he found the three books on the supernatural again.

Unlike last time, Issei had practically nothing to do at the moment, which was why he was browsing his book collection in the first place; he was also not too interested in reading manga or watching anime nor even indulged in his other hobbies.

He may have been a lifelong pervert but even he needed a small break form it, time to time.

Thus just for a brief period of time Issei entertained the idea of reading the books.

'Might as well read them and see what I had wasted my monthly allowance on for.' Issei thought now feeling quite curious on what laid in the books. 'If nothing else I'll kill some time reading them and it's not like I can't put them back if they are too boring.'

With his decision made Issei began to read the book titled 'Solomon's guide to Magic'.

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Issei did not know when he became so engrossed in the book, that he lost track of time.

It was not that compelling to read and often became boring at some parts, like explanation on some spells, what engrossed him was the comments made by Solomon on the various magical practices and how they were foolish to not see that some of the tricks performed by other styles of magic when combined with theirs could boost them to new heights.

Solomon would thus often mock and praise various magicians at the same time and give his own analysis and thoughts on their various magical practices.

Yet that was not what caught Issei's interest the most. Solomon for all intent and purpose was a massive pervert and not only that he had a Harem of 300 wives with more than 700 consorts, that was enough for Issei to respect the man, for Issei had a dream of becoming a Harem King.

Issei was now quite lamenting on not reading the book thoroughly the first time, he really had missed out on the greatness that was Solomon.

'Oh well as they say better late than never.' Issei thought 'Damn Solomon really had a huge Harem; I don't think I could ever reach that number but hell I made a vow not to treat the members of my Harem like trophies.'

That had been one vow that Issei took seriously, to never treat the members of his Harem like trophies to be paraded, they were going to be women who were going to love him and thus he was going to make sure that they were as happy as possible with him.

Turing his thoughts away from his dreams to the book, Issei wondered 'would these methods even work? They seem quite legit enough.'

Mulling over the methods and theories in the book, Issei decide 'I guess there is no harm in trying them out, it's not like they are going to work in the first place.' Though Issei did hoped a little of them working.

"First I need to access my magical powers, prana, mana or simply magic as it is called" Issei read the first instruction. "Well, I am calling it Prana, makes me feel more like a Magus." Issei decided paying tribute to his favourite eroge game.

"The easiest and safest way to access my 'Prana' first I would have to draw the ritual circle and then meditate in the circle and then focus on finding a trigger that would help me access my chant." Issei read the next lines of the instructions.

The circle itself was not that complicated to draw and was not too large in size too, which meant that he could simply draw one in his room and erase it later. It was the trigger that got him thinking.

"Note; the trigger should be something that the user is intimately familiar with and draws upon his greatest feelings and desires, yet requires intense concentration, base desires like lust make for poor triggers often leading to the magician using their magic at inappropriate times and causing undue damage."

"Well there goes my idea of using breasts as a trigger." Issei sighed at the loss of his most obvious choice. "Still there must be others with I can use."

With that Issei began thinking what he should use as a trigger, while drawing the ritual circle with a chalk.

'The most obvious choice is 'Trace On' of EMIYA but it just doesn't give me much of a feeling and frankly it does not even make me think too deeply too.' Thus with that he discarded that phrase as his trigger.

Thus even after an hour had passed when he had finished the circle and sat cross legged to get into a meditative position, Issei had still not being able to find a decent phrase for him to use as his trigger.

Phrases like 'Henshin', 'Go Team Laggan', 'Bankai', etc. had not helped him even a bit. Hell he even went with 'Raising Heart, Set Up' which while got some reaction from the circle still failed to make any decent progress.

Issei was really surprised at the fact that the circle was genuine and the surreal revelation of magic being real. He tried to dismiss it as a trick of the light and his mind, yet the circle had glowed for a good 10-14 seconds that proved that magic was real.

Thus with a burning determination Issei sought to pour his all into unlocking his 'Prana'.

'Still, who knew a magical girls transformation phrase would help a boy like me.' Issei chuckled at the strange yet interesting avenue of thought.

While Issei had failed to used that phrase as a trigger, a thing that both disappointed and relived him, cause what kind of man would he be to use a magical girls transformation phrase, it had shown him how to really go about choosing his trigger.

"I have to really think and pour all my emotions, not just my lust but also my curiosity, joy, awe and even fear and hate into the trigger." Issei concluded, after all the sight of Nanoha saying that phrase both made him jump with joy and yet brought a bit of fear of her using those giant death beams of death. "Man this is going to be hard."

And it was true, for a normal boy like Issei who had not experience many things, had not encountered any life changing incident, the one with the perverted old man not counting, it was hard to visualise something which he could pour his all his heart in.

Sure he could still use breasts as his trigger but he just could not pour his hate and fear into them as well it was almost unthinkable for him to regard breasts as something monstrous and he was not that deep into the internet community to see some of the more debased forms, for him to truly make it as a trigger.

Sighing, Issei almost gave up on thinking of a trigger, but then something caught his sight the poster of Gilgamesh using his Gate of Babylon.

It was a poster that he had bought when the Fate/Zero anime aired.

He liked the anime and love Iskander, because just how can you not like that guy, he even like the prick, El Mollie and his fiancé, Kiritsugu was of course while a bit too dark for his taste was a great character, Issei still saw him as an asshole though.

Irisviel and the other cast were great too. He was though a bit miffed with the wish of Artoria, which he solved by playing the Fate route plenty of times to redeem her character. And the cameo by Jeanne D'Arc from Apocrypha was just great too.

It was an all-round fine anime, great even, for him, he liked all the characters in it even that damn fake priest Kirei, and well after seeing him in Zero and playing the Heaven's Feel Route there was just something that made him a truly great character.

Yet out of all the characters none could make him both hate and make him feel awe like Gilgamesh.

In Zero he gave the King of Conquerors the farewell he deserved, was insanely powerful and had arrogance that he could back up, then in Stay/night he was still the arrogant-powerful King, yet he felt more like a Tyrant than the wise king in Zero. Him ripping out Illya's Heart and killing Berserker did not help his case at all.

Still he was such a character that one could both hate and love at the same time, for his insufferable yet justified arrogance, power, and sometime truly repugnant deeds and also who can forget the sight of him acknowledging someone as his equal and giving the respect they truly deserve. He was that good a character.

Yet it was not the character that drew his attention, it was his Noble Phantasm, The Gates of Babylon.

When Issei first saw it his mind thought of a question, 'What treasures laid behind those gates?'

Issei began to wonder that if those gates had everything the world had to offer both form the past and the future, then what would he see when he entered them.

'Would I see great piles of gold, jewels and silver that were piled up like mountains? Would I see the most beautiful painting, the best sculptures, and the wonders of the world itself or something mundane yet beautiful in its own right, what wonders truly laid in those gates.' Issei wondered not noticing the circle flaring at his thoughts.

'I know that there would be weapons in the gate, but weapons of what kind? I have seen swords, spears and axes coming out from the gate when Gil used the gate, but would I see bows, hammers, shields, guns, bombs and other kinds of weapons?'

The circle glowed brighter feeding of his curiosity.

'There was Vimana the flying machine.' Issei thought back on the strange craft 'Was it simply unique or were there more like it?'

Brighter and brighter the circle glowed and yet Issei ignored it and continue his like of thought.

'There surely must be more inside the gate' Issei thought 'along with the most perfect pair of breasts too, after all if they aren't a treasure worthy of a king than nothing else would be.' Issei thought as he drooled at the thought of such pair of breasts, "And that Bastard Gilgamesh is hording it to himself." Issei said, feeling both angry and jealous at Gilgamesh "Stupid, handsome bastard I glad Shirou kills you off in UBW." Issei growled under his breath. "You should never have killed Illya too in the first place."

The circle feed of the jealousy, hate and anger that flowed form the boy.

"And yet…and yet, you were so cool when you used the EA against Broskander." Issei whispered "Which is why I am going to steal your most iconic phrase form you, King of Heroes and make it my own."

With that Issei lifted his hand in gesture as if he was holding something, like a handle of a sword or in this case a key.

Twisting his wrists Issei said the words that unlocked his dormant power like a dam bursting forth and filling every inch of his body, pushing the 15 year old boy in the life of a Magician.

"Open, Gates of Babylon." And with that darkness claimed him.

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Issei woke up after some time, it seems that after he had unlock his 'Prana', he had passed out for some time, thankfully not too long and had woken up just in time for dinner and then proceeded to erase the ritual circle.

Mentally using his newfound trigger he summoned his 'Prana'.

It first came to him like a slow trickle, then with some more tries it then slowly began to feel like a stream of water with his will guiding where he wanted it to go.

Pushing it into his hands, Issei was even able to create small wisps of lights, which were faint, almost translucent and bluish in appearance.

"It works…it really works. Hahahaha" Issei laughed, his eyes began to moist with joy. "Now I can peep on girls anytime I want." He openly cried, not feeling a single quota of shame at his intension.

After crying a bit more, Issei calmed down, wiping his tears.

"I should try some of the spells to see if they work or else it would have been all for nothing." Issei mumbled.

Flipping over the book, Issei found the spell that was both ideal for testing and would be immensely helpful in the long run.

The spell was 'Scan', like its name suggests it is a spell that allows the user to gain information on the targeted object. It was much like 'Structural Analysis' from fate in all regards and cheap as hell in terms of 'Prana'.

So after going through the basic concepts of the spell, Issei prepared himself to use it.

"Now what should I use it upon?" Issei wondered as he looked around for a target. His eyes landed on his school books, which gave him an idea.

"If it works and does what I think it would do, then school would be a breeze here on out."

Putting his hand on top of the Science textbook, Issei drew upon his prana and slowly directed it upon the book and said "Scan".

Issei felt his prana surge forth following his command and intent, as it began to cover the book in a bluish glow as the spell took effect. Issei knew he was using more prana than necessary as even though the spell was supposed to provide info, it also required a bit of calculations and input about the object too to further cut the prana cost.

Even though it was a cheap spell, Issei himself was just starting out thus he did not have much control over his prana much.

Issei saw and felt the spell taking effect and he started to smile.

Issei felt information about the book bombarding his mind through the spell, first, the dimensions of the book, then the number of pages, the stains on the cover, the wrinkles on the pages and then every word, every figure, picture, facts and theories inside the book.

The information came at such a fast rate that Issei's brain could not process them all at once; giving Issei a headache and making him end the spell prematurely.

"That…that was painful." Issei groaned, clutching his throbbing head. The headache while not that painful was unexpected and the sudden influx of info had given him a bit of vertigo.

Still, when Issei reviewed what he had managed to glean from the spell, he was surprised when he had managed to remember almost a quarter of the text. The info was a bit disjointed, with full of holes as he could not remember all but Issei was surprised at how much he had managed to retain and remember with almost a picture perfect clarity.

Though, it was not like Issei had fully understood what the words fully meant, which still meant that Issei had to study and listen in the class to get by.

"Though even this much means that I don't have to worry about failing ever again." Issei observed "Solomon was right when he said 'To be a Magician is to be a Cheating Cheater.'" Issei grinned as he remembered what Solomon had written in the book. "And I am now one of those Cheating Cheaters."

Issei tried out some few other spells like scrying, conjuring and a few enhancement spells.

He found scrying to be what he expected and though the image it produced was quite blurry and only worked at a short distance. For Issei that was fine as it meant that he would have to practice it quite a lot, which he was eager to do so.

Conjuring was what it was named to a tee, it conjured various objects and Issei was able to banish them at will too. Living objects were of course out of the spells reach but anything else was fair game.

Issei thought that it was quite an unfair spell with how cheap it was in prana and how easy it was to conjure an object. Sure the more complicated the object, the more prana it cost and along with various other factors the prana cost went up but the book said that it would never fail to produce an object as long as one had enough prana, except for gold obviously and that the object was almost permanent unless it was destroyed or banished by the conjurer.

What was more absurd was that if the person knew the object too well, the prana cost of conjuring it would be so less it might as well be non-existent.

Normally this fact would not be game breaking at all as the conjured items were very fragile though they were able to tank multiple hits they were not as durable as the original item. Combine those factors with how complicated even a mundane item could be, the cost of conjuring them more often than not was not worth it in the long run.

Thus it was treated as a basic spell to conjure simple items in times of emergency.

For Issei that fact was irrelevant and he regarded the spell as a game-breaker. Why? Some may ask of how such a simple spell was game breaking? Well Issei had seen a faker use a similair spell and use it to great heights. While he was sure he might not be able to use it like Emiya did, he was still going to abuse the hell out of the spell.

The enhancement spells were also gold for Issei. There was one for enhancing strength, one for speed and agility, endurance, defence etc. they were even item enhancement spells which increased sharpness, durability, mass etc.

Also like all spells the more Issei knew about the object the better he could enhance it with the spells for a low cost.

He was seeing a pattern here with all the spells. All of them required him to be extremely knowledgeable to cut their usage cost and boost their overall performance too.

'No wonder the Magicians are depicted as wise scholarly men. They had to be in order to be great magicians.' Issei thought, as he reviewed what he had learnt.

While this revelation meant that Issei had to study extremely hard in order to be even an average magician, he was not daunted by his increased work load as he could use scan to really cut down his study time. It was pure cheating, a massive insult to all hard-working students and yet it was so like a magician after all

'A magician is a Cheating Cheater.'

Still, Issei knew that simply using Scan would not make him a good magician, he would still have to give in more individual effort and work hard to keep advancing, after which he might someday complete his goals too.

He also felt like he was missing something still, though he had no idea what he was missing.

'The path of a Harem King is going to be long and filled with obstacles.'

It was a thought which make his let loose a laugh but one that he was now determined to work hard for.

'I don't know what the supernatural world holds but with magic I do have some protection against it.' Issei grimly thought, he while was happy and elated to learn about magic and that it was real. It had also proven that the world was not what it seemed and that the supernatural still existed and was real as anything on earth.

The monsters that kill for entertainment, the devils that sought to corrupt the pure and damn them for eternity, the vampires that wooed their prey with their supernatural charms and fed on their life blood, them and so many more, the world seemed to become a more dangerous place.

'Damn Nasu and your unforgiving Moonlight world.' Issei thought all joy now gone filled with dread and fear, as he remembered the monsters of the moonlight world. He knew that they were fictional and thus he had no reason to fear.

But with the existence of magic, he was feeling unsure of whether the depictions were true or the reality was even worse than that. He dare not think too optimistically about the supernatural as even in folklore they wore masks upon masks of lies and deceit.

He was a bit scared, he would admit but now he had a minor protection against them in the form of magic and he knew that to protect himself better, he would work his ass off, because he refuse to let the supernatural stand in his way of his goals.

'I vowed to become a harem king and vowed to surpass Gilgamesh himself.' Issei decided his face full of determination. 'I refuse to let the supernatural get the better of me, until I become a harem king and fondle the perfect pair of breasts.' While his thoughts were not what you would say normal, they did give strengthened his will and fuel his desire to become a strong magician.

Issei in that moment looked outside of his window and gazed upon the full moon, shining in the clear night sky and made his solemn vow.

"I vow upon the moon itself and stake my pride and goal of becoming the Harem King to become the greatest magician the world has ever seen and surpass the might King of Uruk, himself. I from now on would prepare myself to face everything the moonlight world has to offer and overcome them." Issei proclaimed, staking his dreams which he regarded to be more precious than his life.

"But would the moonlight world be ready for me?" Issei said as if questioning the moon itself, asking whether it would challenge his claim.

As if in response to his words…his challenge…the moon shine brighter as it seem to accept his vow.

'Ready or not, Moonlight world, here comes the future Harem King.' Issei thought gazing at the blue moon in the night sky.

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AN:- Another random plot bunny that is screwing with my head while I was writing the next chapter of the Summoner of Heroes, and damn would it not leave me alone.

So any ways this is Magician Issei, which is very uncommon in this site and well not many seems to have any interest writing one.

As usual for me, this is going to be a multi-cross, because I really like screwing up with the multiverse, I blame Space Battles and its multi-cross galore stories.

Anyways while the Fate elements seem very blatant, I am going to add some nifty tricks of Fate and Nasu and expand on that. Also some elements of Fate would come out, hopefully not left field, but really surprise the heck out of you all.

I also do not plan on dropping my Fate: Summoner of Heroes, so be on the look-out for that too.